Life belt



April 26,1927. 1 J. B. ADAMS LIFE BELT Filed Oct. 24. 1925 Patented Apr.26, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN BALDWIN ADAMS, 0F WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND, ASSIGNOR TO BER/DRAMEGLEY, OF WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND.

LIFE BELT.

Application filed October 24, 1925, Serial No. 64,673, and in NewZealand July 1, 1925.

This invention relates to life belts which are fastened to the body bymeans of a strap or tape passing through the lift belt and around thewearers waist.

The object of the present 1IlV8I1t10I1 1S to provide a life belt whichwill be of simple construction and may be worn either by an adult or bya child and so fastened that 1f several compartments are punctured ordamaged there will be still sufficient buoyancy to enable the person tofloat. Another object is to provide additional buoyancy for the upperpart of the body and to ensure the belt being placed correctly inposition on the body.

According hereto, the belt is divided into several buoyant elements. Oneseries of such elements is arranged above and the other below a webthrough which the fastening means pass, while such elements areseparated vertically by webs at intervals around the belt. From theupper edge of the belt proper is led one or more extensions, the upperpart of each extension being a buoyant pad or element of the samematerlal as the rest of the life belt, such element being eitherdirectly connected with the belt or extended therefrom by an interveningweb, of canvas or the like, having if desired, buoyant pads at the side.

The invention will be illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereinFigure 1, is an elevation of the belt showing one extension.

Figure 2, is an elevation of part of the belt on a larger scale.

Figure 3, is a sectional elevation.

Figure 1, is a view showing the belt in position.

Figure 5, is an elevation of the belt showing two elevations.

Referring now to the drawings, the belt consist-s of a number of upperbuoyant elements 1 separated from a corresponding number of lowerbuoyant elements 2 by means of a central horizontal web 3. Each of theupper and lower elements are separated by vertical webs 5, the centralone being as shown, somewhat wider than that upon each side of it.

At intervals throughout the length of the horizontal web 3 eyelets 6 areprovided through which a fastening tape or strap 7 is interlaced in themanner shown. Above the upper edge of the belt is a buoyant pad orelement 8 connected to the upper edge of the belt by a web 9 which hasbuoyant pads 10 at each end, the lower edges of such pads 10 beingconnected to the upper edge of the belt. The belt is simply fastenedaround the body of a person by bringing the ends of the strap 7 aroundto the front and tying the ends, (as illustrated in Figure 4:).

If desired, more than one buoyant extension may be employed arranged onthe belt, as shown in Figure 5, so that when the belt is in position onthe wearer a buoyant pad will be both in front and at the rear of thewearer. In this case the belt would be fastened at the side of thewearer.

In use the belt is strapped around the mid dle of thebody and theextension or extensions are free to float upwards towards the head,thereby forming a buoyant pad or element that will support the upperpart of the body and keep it upright in the water.

What I claim is 1. A life belt adapted to be placed around the upperportion of a persons body, consisting of an upper series and a lowerseries of buoyant elements separated by vertical webs, a horizontallydisposed web arranged between said series of elements joining saidvertical webs and provided throughout its extent with spaced eyelets,and a strap extending through said eyelets and having its end extendingbeyond the ends of the web to permit said ends to be fastened tog-etherafter the belt has been donned by the user, a buoyant element above saidupper series of elements connected to the upper edge of the belt, and ahorizontally disposed web connecting said buoyant element to the upperedge of the belt, substantially as described.

2. In a life belt as claimed in claim 1, buoyant pads at each end ofsaid last mentioned web, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN BALDWIN ADAMS. I

